ANNEALING BEHAVIOR OF DILUTE ALUMINUM-ALLOYS FOLLOWING HOT DEFORMATION

The microstructure and texture of three dilute aluminium alloys after hot deformation and annealing was assessed. In particular, the influen ce of deformation temperature, strain rate, and strain on the annealed texture was examined as well as the effect of alloy composition. The microstructures of the commercially pole materials studied (Al, Al + 1 %Mn and Al + 1%Mg) varied in the volume fraction of coarse intermetall ic particles, the type of dispersoid present, and the level and type o f solute in solid solution. Furthermore, the initial stages of recover y and recrystallisation were studied in detail for one of the alloys ( commercially pure Al). It was found that the main recrystallisation te xture component was the cube and its strength, as well as the recrysta llised grain size, depended strongly on the deformation strain. The de formation strain rate and temperature, and the alloy composition also strongly influenced the grain size and cube texture strength. These re sults are discussed in the context of current theories for cube nuclea tion within cube bands in the hot deformed microstructure. The present work was carried out as part of a wider research programme, partially supported by the European Union (Brite/Euram funded), to develop micr omechanical models to describe the evolution of microstructure and tex ture during hot deformation and annealing of aluminium alloys. (C) 199 6 The Institute of Materials.